1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of seating furniture and more specifically to a furniture seat which is fluid-resistant and adapted to aid in the performance of housekeeping chores. The furniture seat of the invention is therefore particularly well-suited for use in a health care facility such as a hospital or geriatric home.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Health care institutions such as hospitals, and in particular long term health care institutions such as geriatric homes, have heretofore had great difficulty in maintaining upholstered seating furniture in a sanitary condition. Patients utilizing such furniture often suffer from a number of disorders such as incontinence or Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease makes it difficult for a patient to hold or drink beverages without spilling. Thus, the furniture seats in such institutions frequently become soiled.
As used herein, the terms "seating furniture" or "furniture seats" include both sofas and chairs. Traditional upholstered furniture seats generally include a seat portion and a backrest portion and may optionally include armrests. The seat portion, backrest portion and the armrests usually have a resilient cushion material, such as foam or soft batting, disposed between a frame member and an upholstery covering. The seat portion presents a substantially flat top surface which is generally horizontally disposed. The backrest portion includes an in-back side disposed substantially normal to the flat top surface of the seat portion. The optional armrests are located at opposite ends of the backrest portion and are substantially normal to both the top surface of the seat portion and the in-back side of the backrest portion. Thus, a crevice generally exists at the juncture between each of the aforesaid.
The upholstery covering on traditional furniture seats generally comprises a porous fabric material so that fluids which may be spilled thereon are absorbed by the upholstery cover and the underlying cushion or batting. Furthermore, spilled fluids tend to run into the crevices at the junctures between the seat portion, backrest portion and armrests. The fluids can also soil the floor area below the furniture seats.
In the past, health care institutions have often utilized upholstered seating furniture which includes a fluid-resistant upholstery covering such as vinyl or leather. While vinyl materials are impervious to most liquids, the vinyl upholstery coverings generally include sewn seams or zippers, which offer points of entry to the underlying cushion or batting materials. While such upholstery coverings offer some protection to the underlying cushions and batting, it is often difficult or impossible to remove spilled fluids from the crevices at the junctures between the seat portion and backrest portion and armrests.
Furniture seats having removable seat portions, supported by a support structure, are also known in the art. While such furniture seats make it possible to clean fluids from the crevices between the seat portion and backrest portion and seat portion and armrests, the support structure itself often becomes soiled. Many times the support structure is constructed of porous materials so that it absorbs the spilled fluids, which prevents cleaning the fluids therefrom. Finally, if a spilled fluid works its way to the floor area below the furniture seat, the entire furniture seat must be moved in order to clean up the spill.